Electric capstan.



No. 741,995. PATENTED OCT. 20, 1903. W. D. BALDWIN & A. SUNDH.

ELECTRIC CAPSTAN.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 20, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

FIGZ

WITNESSES ATTORN EYS.

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UN TED STATES Patented October 20, 1903.

PATENT OEEicE.

VILL IAM D. BALDWIN, OF NEW YORK, AND AUGUST SUNDI-I, OF YONKERS, NEWYORK, ASSIGNORS TO OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY, OF EAST ORANGE,

NE\V JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,995, dated October20, 1903.

Application filed January 20. 1902. Serial No. 90,541. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM DBALDWIN, residing at New York, in thecounty of New York, and AUGUST SUNDH, residing at Yonkers, in the countyof Vestchester, State of NewYork, both citizens of the United States,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Capstans,of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to the operation of capstans by electricity; andits object is to provide a simple and efficient capstan designed moreparticularly for use in those instances whereit maybe necessarytohaulloads horizontally, as on the waterside and in connection with yardsand decks, although our invention may be used in whatever connection itis applicable.

Our invention consists, primarily, in a capstan driven by means ofelectric motors, with means for controlling the operation of such motorsto start, stop, and reverse them simultaneously with each other.

To this end our invention further consists in the novel construction ofapparatus and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described andshown in its many details of construction in the accompanyingspecification and drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation, partly insection, of a capstan embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View ofthe same with part of the top broken away and partly in section. Fig. 3is a diagram of circuits, showing the seriesparallel control of themotors with reversingswitch; and Fig. 4 is a modified construction ofapparatus for operating the controller and reversing-switch.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a suitable foundation or base,with sides B, which may be of any desired construction, shown in thisinstance as masonry, the foundation or base A being at such distancebelow the level of the yard, dock, or flooring upon which it is desiredto operate that the capstan O will be supported above the dock orflooring, as shown, upon a vertical shaft O extending downwardlytherefrom. The

shaft O is provided with a suitable bearing for its lower end in thebottom plate IV of the apparatus, which is suitably secured to the baseA, as shown, by bolts w. The casing V, in this instance of cylindricalform, is supported upon the base-plate W and carries a top plate P,which affords a bearing for the upper portion of the vertical shaft O,and the capstan O, as shown, is arranged above the top plate P.

Electric motors J K are arranged to drive the capstan, and they may bein any desired position relative to the capstan, either within orwithout the casing; but the preferable arrangement is within the casing,and any desired number of motors may be provided. In the drawings themotors are provided with vertical shafts, as this is a convenientarrangement of apparatus readily controlled and efficient in operation.Bearings F and E are provided for the lower ends of the shafts G H, thebearings of the upper ends of the shafts being in sockets X Y on theyoke-pieces Z, which yokes are additionally supported from the casing Vby supports Q. Suitable gearing is provided between the motor-shafts andthe central shaft O for driving the capstan, as shown the shaft 0 beingprovided with one large gear-wheel R, and the motor-shafts G H beingprovided with smaller gear-wheels S T, thus forming a convenientarrangement,although other arrangements of gear-wheels, of course, maybe utilized. The gear-wheel R has a ball-bearing on the under surface ofits hub r, as the balls (1 operating in grooves 19 in the block 15),while the Whole gear is arranged in a suitable gear box or casing formedby projections g on the plate \V and a cover r. The gearcasing may befilled with lubricant, as shown, if desired. From the arrangement shownit is evident that if both motors rotate in the same direction they willdrive the gear R in the same direction, and by simply reversing thedirection of rotation of each motor the gear R will be reversed and thecapstan 0 will also be reversed. 95

Any suitable electric motors may be used with our invention and any formof yokes and pole-pieces and construction of armature,

commutator, and brushes; but as illustrative of a suitable form of motorwe have shown series-wound motors, of which, as stated, Z are the yokes,the outsides only being shown, and brushes d, with posts it, for theconnection of the circuit-wires.

Suit-able means must be provided for controlling the motors anddetermining their direction of rotation, and, as shown, we provide aseries-parallel control for the motors and a reversing-switch fordetermining their direction of rotation, the series-parallel controllerand reversing-switch being preferably operatedsimultaneously. Asafurther means of controlling the motors a suitable brake is provided,shown in this instance as a band brake h operating upon a sheave g, andelectromagnetic means in the shape of an electromagnet D are providedfor withdrawing the brake upon starting the motors, a spring j operatingto apply the brake when the current is turned off to stop the motors. Wehave simply shown this brake as an illustration of our invention and arenot to be understood as limiting ourselves to its particular form. Theseries-parallel controller is of any usual or suitable construction,there being preferably a series of stationary brushes 1 and a rotatablecylinder carrying contacts, the brushes and cylinder being arrangedwithin a suitable casing L. The cylinder itself is not shown; but adevelopment there' of is illustrated in Fig. 3 which is a simple way oftracing the circuits, it being understood that the contacts shown inFig. 3 are arranged on the outside of the insulating-cylinder, as shown.

Any suitable reversing-switch may be provided, as shown it beingarranged within a casing M, and it may consist of a series of stationarybrushes 0, with movable contacts also on the cylinder, the developmentof this cylinder being shown in Fig. 3.

The series-parallel controller and reversing-switch are operated,respectively, from vertical shafts b and e, and suitable means areprovided for simultaneously rotating said shafts about their verticalaxes. A convenient means and one which We have found particularlysuitable to this class of apparatus is that illustrated, in whichhorizontal arms I are provided radiating from the center and rotatablysupported upon the shaft 0, as shown, they being connected to the hub TThe arms I are arranged just beneath the top plate P, and the outer endsof the same are connected by a ring a, which is guided in rollers K, asshown, connected to the casing V. The ring a may be provided withratchetteeth a on its side, engaging a suitable pawl (L3, mounted on thecasing, as indicated in Fig. 2. From this ring ct foot or hand pieces aproject upward through slots in the top plate P, so that by pushing orpulling on said foot or hand pieces a (they being shown as foot-pieces)the arms I may be rotated in one direction or another, and ifconnections are provided between said arms and the shafts b and c itwill be seen that ready means are at hand for operating the controllerand reversing-switch from the outside of the appa ratus. In thisinstance the segmentf is c011- nected to the hub r and meshes with apinion 6' on the shaft 0, while any suitable connection, shown as an armf having teeth q engages teeth on a segment 0, connected to the shaftZ). The oscillation then of segment f rotates the pinion c,which in turnoscillates the arm f, and segment 0 is thereby oscillated, partiallyrotating the shaft b and simultaneously reversing the controller andreversing-switch.

In Fig. 4 a modified form of apparatus is shown in detail for operatingthe controller and reversing-switch. Instead of the arms I the shaft 6is extended upwardly through the aperture c in the cover or top plate I,and means are provided for connecting a crank e or otheroperating-handle to said shaft 6 through the aperture. As before, thearmf is connected to the shaft 0, (not shown in Fig. 4,) so that byturning the crank c both shafts e and b will be rotated and thecontroller and reversing-switch operated.

As stated, we prefer to operate the motors with series-parallel control,and anysuitable connections may be provided for so controlling themotors; but a simple construction of apparatus is diagrammatically shownin Fig. 3, in which a series of brushes 15, as stated, is shown, thesebrushes being represented individually by the numerals 6 7 8 9 10 ll 1213 14 15, on each side of which series of brushes are representedcontacts in parallel rows, there being such a number of said con tactsthat when the controller is operated the brushes may take five differentpositions relative to the contacts. (Indicated in dotted lines by 1 2 34 5 and l 2 3' I 5'.) The contacts are shown of various shapes andsizes, and their arrangement is such, as will hereinafter be described,that the armatures of the motors are thrown first in series with eachother with resistances 40 and A1 in circuit for each armature. Atposition 2 one of the resistances is cut out of circuit, andat position3 the other is cut out of circuit. At position 4 the armatures arethrown into parallel relation to each other with. resistance in thecircuit of each, while in position 5 the armatures are thrown intoparallel relation directly across the line with no resistance incircuit. As stated, the motors are preferably series wound; but they maybe of any desired winding, as shown S S being the series fields and A Athe armatures. The reversing-switch also consists, as stated, of aseries of brushes 0 (individually indicated by the numerals 1819 20 2122 2- 2-1- 25,) with contacts on each side thereof so arranged andconnected that when the contacts on either side are moved into contactwith the brushes circuits will be made through the armatures A A indifferent directions. Those contacts ITS to the right of thereversing-switch are nu 11 bered S1 82 83 3% 36 37, and they areconnected to each other in pairs in the manner shown.

D represents the brake-magnet, connected directly across the mains,(represented by and and assuming that the controller andreversing-switch are si 111 ultaneously turned to start the motors andbring them up to speed the circuits may be traced as follows: Let thebrushes B first rest upon the contacts marked 1 of the controller, whilethe contacts to the right of the series of brushes 0 of thereversing-switch may be assumed to be in contact with the brushes.Gircuit will then be completed from the positive main at by wire 26, tobrush 15, from thence by wire 27 to the brake-magnet D and to thenegative lead. The brake-magnet will thus be energized and will lift thebrake. Another circuit will be completed from the positive lead throughthe series field-winding S to brush 18 on the re versing-switch, fromthence to contact 30, to contact 32, to brush 20, to and through thearmature A of the motor, and back to the brush 19, from thence throughcontacts 31 and 33 to brush 21, from thence to brush 10 on the series-parallel controller, and brushes 10 and 11 being upon one of thecontacts in the position marked 1 the circuit will be completed frombrush 10 to brush 11, through resistance 10 to brush 12, and the brushes12 and 13 being upon one of the contacts of the position marked 1current will pass from brush 12 to brush 13, from thence to and throughthe series field-winding S, from thence to brush 22 of thereversing-switch, to contact 34, to contact 86,to brush 24t,from thenceto and through armature A to brush 23, to contact 35, to contact 37, tobrush 25, from thence to brush 9 on the controller, and the circuitbeing com pleted to brush 8, from thence to and through resistance 4:1to brush 7, and from brush 6 to the negative main. The circuit willthushave been completed through the armatnres A A in series with eachother, with a resistance 40 in series with the armature A and aresistance 41 in series with the armature A. When contacts of theposition marked 2 come opposite the brushes B of the controller, thecircuits will be the same as those just described, except thatresistance 41 will be cut out of the armature-circuit, and when thecontacts of position marked 3 come opposite and in contact with thebrushes B the resistance 10 will also be cut out of circuit, and thearmatures will be left running in series with each other connecteddirectly across the line. When the contacts of the position marked 1come opposite and in contact with the brushes B, circuit will becompleted as follows: from the positive lead through the field to brush18, to contact 30, to contact 32, to brush 20, through the armature A tobrush 10, to contact 31,110 contact 33, to brush 21, to brush 10 on thecontroller, to brush 11, through resist snce to brush sec 12, and fromthence to the negative main by wire A circuit will also be completed bywire to brush 1 1 on the controller, to a contact of the position marked5 on the controller, to brush 13, from thence to and through the seriesfield-winding S, to brush of the reverser, to contact 34, to contact 36,to brush 2- to and through armature A to brush 23, contact 35,contact37, brush 25, brush 9 on the controller, to brush 8, through resistance41 'to brush 7, to brush 6, and to the negative main. In this positionof the controller the motors are thrown in parallel across the line withresistance in series with each, and when the controller is in suchposition that the contacts of the position marked 5 come opposite and incontact with the brushes B the motors will be thrown in parallel witheach other across the line, but without resistance in the circuit ofeither, and they will then be running at normal speed. Should thecontroller be turned in a reverse direction, bringing these contactsmarked 1 2 3 4" 5' successively into contact with brushes B and bringingthe contacts on the left of the series of brushes 0 of thereverslag-switch into contact with brushes C, the motors would be thrownfirst into series and then into parallel with each other, as before, andthe direction of rotation would be reversed.

In Fig. 2 the and signs represent the leading-in wires for the motors,these wires entering the casing of the controller and reversing-switchand emerging therefrom to pass to the motors and brake-magnet in amanner to connect the motors and brake-mag net, as diagrammaticallyillustrated in Fig. 3. The casing containing the controller andreversing-switch may be arranged in any suit able manner with relationto the motors; but convenient arrangement is to support it from theyokes of the motors by suitable arms t.

Without limiting ourselves to the precise construction and arrangementof parts shown and described, we claim as our invention-- 1. Thecombination with a platform, and a capstan thereon, of a shaft extendingdowm wardly therefrom, two electric motors geared to drive said shaft, aserie -parallel controller and reversing-switch, and means arranged inthe platform for operating the controller and reversing-switch,substantially as described.

2. The combination with a capstan, and a shaft extending downwardlytherefrom, of two electric motors geared to drive the shaft, aseriesparallel controller and reversingswitch for the motors, and armsrotatably supported upon the capstan-shaft connected to operate thecontroller and reversing-switch, substantially as described.

3. lhe combination with a capstan, and a shaft extending downwardlytherefrom, of two electric motors geared to drive said shaft, acontroller for said motors, and arms rota- IIO Lil

series-parallel controller, reversing-switch, brake, and brake-magnetall arranged within the casing, and means Without the casing forcontrolling the operation of said controller, reversing-switch andln'zike-niagneia, snhstmr tially as described.

testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing; witnesses.

WILLIAH D. BALDWIN. AUGUST SUNDH. \Vitnesses:

HUGO A. HENKEL, W. BRADY.

